Colonial Williamsburg

The highlight of the visit probably was the tour of the Governors Palace. Although it is not the original building which was destroyed by fire, the re-builders found many original drawings of the various parts and were able to reconstruct the palace as it was designed. It was the residence of seven royal governors and the first two governors of the commonwealth of Virginia - Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson. It's great entry hall displays many of the weapons available to the militia at the time and the ceiling has a wonderful display of these along the rotunda.

Quick Tips:

Get comfortable shoes since you will do a lot of walking. The classical part of the town is about one mile long and about a half mile wide which does not seem a lot but there is a lot of back and forth strolling along the various main and side streets. Your best bet is to drive to the visitors center where there is a large parking lot (free if you buy a pass, which I think is an absolute must) and then take the free bus to where ever you like to start.

Best Way To Get Around:

Walking is the best way of course, but you can get to the different sections by hopping on one of the buses that go around about every ten minutes. If you buy a pass, you can get aboard the buses for free.

The accomodations were superb and normally would rent for about $200, however we got a deal where we paid $159 for 3 nights, but we had to attend a timeshare presentation. This was pleasant and low key. The Manor is a group of elegant brick buildings with very large and extremely well equipped rooms. There was an elevator; we had a very modern bathroom . There were two swimming pools, one indoor and one outdoor, tennis courts and a very obliging and friendly staff.

Not knowing where to go the first night after we arrived, we wound up here. The place was very busy and very noisy and the food less than mediocre.

This was a nice little chinese restaurant in the mall at the corner of New Towne Road and Richmond Road. The food appeared to be the usual Chinese fare served by friendly young waitresses. We chose the $6.95 (believe it or not) buffet, all you can eat. The food was nicely presented and for the most part tasted quite good. I particularly liked the mussels and the fried shrimp and fried chicken. The pork was unfortunately tough and dried out, but overall it was a good experience at a very low cost.

This was the dining highlight during our three day stay in Williamsburg. The atmosphere is very pleasant...nautical with subdued lights and little noise. There are several large ship dioramas along the walls with internal lights - very pretty. The food is mostly from the sea but also includes various meats such as steaks and roast beef as well as veal and pork. I had my favorite - Maryland soft-shell crabs and my wife had the crabmeat dinner. We are still talking about this dinner. It was outstanding. Even the draft beer was good.

This is a large Outlet Mall with at least a hundred stores. My wife found a pair of Nikes which she couldn't get at home, on sale. We also got gifts for friends and family at Villeroy & Boch and at Mikasa, but most of all we pigged out at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Co. (I confess, I am a chocoholic). We also looked at Lenox, at Jones of New York and dozens I no longer remember.

There are so many wonderful things to see, it cannot really be done in a day. However we took the bus to the Market Square and from there we looked at the Powder Magazine and spoke with some well-armed locals dressed in proper temporal clothes. We meandered along Duke of Gloucester Street (the main drag) to see various artisans and craftsmen who made perukes or leather saddles. We stopped for a drink in a tavern and spent some time sitting on a bench watching the tourists. Then we took the bus to Merchants Square, where there are many interesting stores, some restaurants and one of the fine buildings of William and Mary College. A nice place to rest for a few minutes is in the garden of the Governors Palace. Or take some time and observe the debates in the Capitol.